


confidence blossoms in the presence of allies

by QUADZER0



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Gen, Language Barrier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 17:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7115980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QUADZER0/pseuds/QUADZER0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asuka is not confident with her English, so Shinsuke steps in to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	confidence blossoms in the presence of allies

**Author's Note:**

> this was for a fic exchange, but i wanted to post it here too.

There are few words in the English language that Asuka can say she can recite confidently. Names, greetings and goodbyes—words like FIGHT, VICTORY— _champion._

She can read and write decently, but there’s always the stigma behind practicing speech—not wanting to sound a certain way or catch the subtle changes of face people do when they hear her attempts. They don’t mean to be rude, but it stops her from trying anywhere anyway. If she can help it, she’d much rather practice in the company of friends, or at least someone familiar: like Finn, like Hideo, like Bayley.

Asuka has hidden herself away deep within the performance center. Having just finished an intense workout, she ducks away to the cafeteria and settles in her assigned corner. There are a few other names and faces, other wrestlers she has faced here in NXT, but they don’t so much as glance at her—much more engrossed with other things.

She digs out her lunch from her bag and starts eating in silence, murmuring things in between her chews—words like BORED, TIRED— _lonely._

“Aaaaahhhh _—_ “ The sandwich in her hand is bitten into—her face scrunches in disgust at seeing it’s at the part she’s already put her mouth on—until she sees him.

Shinsuke is known for being a little weird, and he knows it too—parades around and shows it off like it’s nothing to be ashamed of—and it’s all types of inspiring.

“ _You bit my sandwich,_ ” Asuka says in their native tongue, lips poking out in a pout, “ _Don’t you have your own food?_ ”

The older man grins after swallowing down the last bits of bread, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and taking a seat right next to her.

“Nothing wrong with sharing.” He gives a curt nod, as if they were validating his very words—stringed together in fluent English—stated very confidently despite the obvious accent. Asuka doesn’t question it, although it does confuse her.

“ _Do you need my help with something?_ ”

“Can’t I just sit here? With a friend?” Shinsuke pokes her in the arm and lifts his legs up to rest them on the table. Other wrestlers looked perturbed, but he continues to smile on anyway, relaxed and unbothered as ever.

“ _I’m glad you consider us friends. I have a lot of respect for your in-ring ability._ ”

“English. Let’s talk. English.” A flick of the wrist, a wave of the hand—English? Asuka puts down the sandwich Shinsuke had bitten into and he picks it up just as quickly to finish it off.

“ _Why? What’s wrong with speaking Japanese? We both know it._ ”

“Good practice.”

Practice.

In a promotion predominantly English-speaking, perhaps that might be a good idea. Although Shinsuke is confident in his ability to speak, Asuka doesn’t know if she will learn in the same manner. She’s tried before, and she’s practiced before, but—

“C’mon.” He urges, shoving the last chunk of bread into his mouth. The rest of his words are mumbled through flying crumbs and Asuka lets out a laugh before reluctantly agreeing.

“ _Oka-““_ Okay. We will … practice.”

\--

Fast forward in time.

The touch of metal and leather and jewels against her fingertips, the roar of the crowd behind her—a mixed range of emotions. Bayley is coughing at her feet, struggling to stand in the arms of the referee—but she can’t help but feel nothing but elated.

She stands at the turnbuckle, tears threatening to fall down her face—Asuka screams at the top of her lungs the words she wishes she could say confidently.

“This belongs to me!” It’s sobbed out in broken fragments of a language she so desperately wishes she wouldn’t struggle with. Now, Asuka figures it shouldn’t matter anymore—they have to respect what she says, in any language, because the title adorns _her_ now.

\--

Shinsuke emerges from behind curtains, shadows passing and a white towel slung around his neck. He’s more or less cleaned up, looking more relaxed than how he should be despite the fight he’s had beforehand.

Asuka approaches him, almost bouncing on her feet.

_“How is your nose?”_

“It is fine.”

He looks bothered, despite his appearances beforehand, and Asuka starts to wonder what she’s done.

When, of course—

She lets out a sigh and shifts nervously.

“Are you excited?”

“Yes!” Shinsuke jumps up and pulls her into an aggressive hug, almost tossing her around because he’s so elated, “New champ!”

“Yeah!”

\--

With being a champion, Asuka had expected her betters to have her out in the ring more. To prove her worth as a champion. She had watched Bayley, how often she went out to speak and fight. Asuka so desperately wants to do that too, but for some reason, they’re holding her back.

That insecurity flares up again.

She’s been practicing in the company of friends.

But did that really matter?

\--

Nia Jax is formidable—a true powerhouse—a real threat, but she boasts and brags far much more than she is allowed. Asuka has beaten her adversary Eva down many times before—Nia will be no different. Nia claims she could choke her out like she did to Bayley, but everyone seems to forget that Asuka was the one who choked Bayley for the title.

The title that is hers.

“You. Talk. Too. Much.” A signature. Finality for a fight that will easily be won. “ _Do you think you can do it? Huh!?”_

It’s a momentary thing, her Osakan coming out, to build up the confidence she needs for the rest of this exchange. People expect a lot from a champion—probably expect more from her just because she’s not native to here, but—

“If you are not scared of me,” Her heart is pounding heavily against her ribcage—the _thump-thump-thump_ of her words lodged in her throat. She forces them out, “You _should_ be.”

The pain of being laid out on the mat pales in comparison to the pride swelling in her head. Shinsuke must be doing backflips backstage, his happiness radiating far out from there despite Nia towering over her.

\--

“You will win.” He says confidently.

“ _Yeah? You think so?_ ”

Shinsuke gives her another one of his suffocating hugs.

“ _I am confident in a champion._ ”


End file.
